Dolphins Slip, Slide To 2nd Loss

Miami's Defense Surrendered Big Plays To Seattle, Which Came Back To Win, 22-15, On A Rain-soaked Field.

October 7, 1996|By Jason Cole Miami Bureau

MIAMI — The pained look and subdued tone of Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson during his postgame press conference told the story better than any words.

The 22-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Pro Player Stadium was burning up his usual bravado. It was the kind of loss that can linger, one certain to cause second-guessing. A loss that could force changes in a defense that had played relatively mistake-free to this point.

''Obviously, we didn't play very well,'' Johnson said. ''There's no way you can give up three big plays on pass defense and expect to win.''

Specifically, free safety Gene Atkins and cornerback Calvin Jackson could be headed for the sideline after the Dolphins fell to 3-2. Johnson had a lengthy meeting with the head of football operations, Bob Ackles, after the game.

Johnson said Atkins missed a game-saving tackle and was part of a miscommunication on another touchdown. Jackson was at the wrong end of man-coverage on touchdowns of 65 and 80 yards.

This loss also had some players quietly questioning the wisdom of blitzing on third-and-10 with just more than two minutes remaining. The blitz exposed a secondary that had been torched twice earlier.

The Seahawks picked up on the blitz and finished a trifecta of big plays with a game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Friesz to wide receiver Brian Blades with 2:03 remaining.

The blitz was only one of the problems, however. The Dolphins' running game took another step backward. Craig Erickson, making his first start for Miami in place of the injured Dan Marino, completed 16 of 28 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown. He seemed bothered by frequent heavy rain that had players slipping and sliding and left the stands less than half full. Erickson was sacked four times, threw an interception and fumbled four snaps from center, losing two.

''This is a setback,'' Johnson said. ''But in a season you're going to have highs and lows. Obviously, we have to correct the mistakes we made today, because we have a big challenge ahead of us.''

Are they worried about a frustrating loss having a snowball effect?

''I think sometimes you do, but not in our situation,'' center Tim Ruddy said. ''Our young guys have played five games now and the preseason, too.''

Ruddy is right from another perspective. The rookies did not make the biggest mistakes.

The Dolphins' first drive stalled at Seattle's 1-yard line after a fumbled exchange between Ruddy and Erickson and a slip down by running back Irving Spikes. Three veterans came up short.

It was the beginning of a bad day. Ruddy and Erickson combined for five bad snaps and even had two fumbles on the sideline as they were practicing.

Offensive problems were to be expected with a backup quarterback starting, however. The defense decimated the Dolphins.

The Seahawks scored their first touchdown when Jackson, who is in his third season, was beaten in man-coverage by Joey Galloway for a 65-yard touchdown. Galloway scored on a 51-yard touchdown for a 14-3 lead in the second quarter when the Dolphins' secondary played two different coverages.

''We had a busted coverage on that,'' said Johnson, who hates mental mistakes more than anything, particularly after he chastised his players for having ''weak minds'' earlier in the week. ''We had one group playing a three-deep and another playing a four across. They didn't have good communication.''

Atkins, in his 10th season, was playing the right coverage but didn't relay that call quickly enough to cornerback Terrell Buckley, in his fifth year. Buckley played one coverage and Atkins played another, got confused, and neither picked up Galloway.

It made for an ugly play against a defense that is designed to prevent the big play.

''I think (safety) Lou (Oliver) was playing three-deep. Gene was playing switch. I was playing three-deep, and Calvin was playing switch. That's amazing, isn't it?'' Buckley said.